Silo and tank construction.



H. H. PUGH.

SlLO AND TANK CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1915.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Inve10r Q WW HARRY H. PUGH, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS;

SILO AND TANK CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed February 27, 1915.

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY H. PUGH a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Silo and Tank Construction, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to the construction of silos and tanks made of. vertically disposed planks or staves.

It relates to the construction of. the main body of the structure and not to the vertical opening orseries of openings provided in silos for the filling andemptying thereof.

It has been a practice heretofore to build such structures of wood planks or staves which have tongue-and-groove connections along their contiguous edges, with numerous metal bands surrounding the structure to hold the staves together. To facilitate the assembling of the parts in the erection of the structure and to insure its durability, it has been necessary to use quite wide staves, say six inches or more, of clear lumber; also it has been found necessary that long timbers be used in order to avoid horizontal seams or joints. Inasmuch as the timbers of the larger dimensions are more costly provPOltlOIlfltQlY than timbers or lumber of smaller dimensions, these requirements have made for increased cost of the silos and tanks.

It is the object of my invention to utilize the lumber of smaller dimensions, z. e., to provide such a system of construction that narrower staves may be used and also that short lengths may be used and safely spliced Wherever a horizontal joint may-be; also to avoid the necessity of the hoops or bands,

7 except possibly as supplementary factors of safety, by connecting the contiguous staves so the structure will be self-supporting.

My invention comprises an arrangement of vertically disposed staves with tongueand-groove connections, or spline-andgroove connections, together with spikes running through the studs horizontally and driven into the contiguous staves; also it comprises a method of securing together contiguous staves and splines by meansof spikes; and it also comprises the parts, improvements and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Inthe drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification and in thede- Specification of Letters Patent.

- material is indicated by the V renders thejoint impervious to moisture and air. While I prefer to use the loose tongue stood that under Serial No. 10,945. J

Patented Feb. 15,1916;

scription of the drawings, I have shown my members, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

' Figure l is a sectional plan view on a 7.

plane indicated by the line 1 in Fig. 2. Fig.

- 2 is an outside" elevation, part being shown in section. Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the wall, on a plane indicated approximately by the line 3 in Fig. 2, showing the horizontal joint. I

Similar reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the severai v ews.

a The vertically disposed staves or timbers 4, 5, 5 are formed with grooves 6, 6, 6 in their vertical edges and these grooves register-with each other. Each stave except the first is also formed with a series of horizontal holes 7, 7 passing through from groove togroove. .In the manner of assembling hereinafter explained no such holes are necessary in thestave 4. Asnoted in Fig. l, the edges of the staves are slightly beveled to correspond with the radius of the silo or tank to be constructed, so that the parts will be easily assembled into. a circular wall. The splines or loose tongues 8, 8, 8 are placed in contiguous grooves, as shown in the drawings, to hold the staves in alinement and form a seal, and the sealing is perfected by the use of a suitable cementing material, such as a suitable wood preserver, creosote or asphalt preparation, of proper consistency applied to the joining portions'immediately before assembling so that the parts may be pressed firmly together while the ocmenting material is soft. The cementing numeral 11, 1 and and the two grooves, it will also be undersome circumstances, any other. form of tongue-and-groove connection may betused as an equivalent.

To assemble the structure, I prefer to start with the stave 4L and'build both ways therefrom. The contiguous'staves are connected to the stave 4 with the splines 8, 8 in proper position and with the cementing material be applied.

applied. Then a spike is placed in each hole 7 of the staves 5, 5, and driven through the splines and into the stave 4E. Then the next staves are similarly assembled and spiked to those so fastened, and this is continued to complete the Wall to the vertical opening or. 'SGYIGS of openings withwhich this invention is not concerned. Obviously one might commence by placing the stave i at one side of the opening and then continuing around to the other side of the opening; but the suggested plan is quicker. Obviously, too, in the construction of round tanks Without the vertical opening, devices are necessary for connecting the staves filling the final gap. The heads of the spikes are driven into the Wood with the elieot of counter- 'sinking'them into the bottom of the groove so as not to interfere with the spline next to The'holes 7, 7, which arepreviously prepared for the reception of the shanks of the spikes are useful for two very important reasons,'namely: Theypositively eliminate the danger of splitting the stave through which the spike is first extended; and they serve as a positive guide to guide the spike straight.

In additionthey lessen the labor in the actual erection of the silo. And by driving the spike throughthe spline, a slight expansion of adjacent portions of the spline is caused, resulting in more firm'pressure ofthe sides of the'spline against contiguous sides of the grooves, thus making a stronger oint.

A horizontal j oint may be easily and safely made by means of a similar cemented horizontal spline '10.

It is, of course, acknowledged that the spline-and groove connection would hardly suffice to hold the studs together against the outward pressure of the contents of the structure; but, instead of using hoops or hands for this purpose,' I use the spikes.

Icontemplate using standard or ordinary two-by-four inch lumber, thereby effecting a great saving per unit of lumber over these structures using lumber of the larger dimensions. Preferably, too, the staves are to be planed, grooved,beveled, and drilled at a factory previousto shipping. It thus becomes a comparatively simple task to erect the structure with the use of only the simplest tools. Also, by the use of the narrower staves, it becomes a simple matter tose cure them together by means of spikes, whereas this would scarcely be practicable withthe wider timbers. It is'preferred to drill the holes for the head-end of the spikes for the reasons that the holes can be properly drilled at properly spaced points, the danger of splitting the stave is'avoided, considerable labor is saved thelperson erecting the structure, it insures theproper'numberof spikes being properly used, and enables the shipper to determine accurately the amount of metal i eduired, It is understoodthat the point of thespike s tobe driven through the spline ortongue and into the contiguous stave.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. In silos, tanks, and similar structures,

the combination of vertically disposed staves placed edge to edge, the contiguous vertical edges being formed with registering grooves and being beveled according to the radius of the-structure and each'stave except the first being'formed with horizontal holes extending through'its'body from groove to groove, a cementing material for sealing the joints, splines for contiguous grooves, and spikes extending through said holes and driven throughthe contiguous splines and into the contiguousstaves, the heads of the spikes being countersunk;

'2. In silos, tanks, and similar structures,

the-combination of vertically disposed staves placed edge to edge the contiguous edges being formed with registering grooves and said .staves'except the first'being formed with horizontal holes "extending through their bodies'from groove 'to groove, splines. for contiguous grooves, and spikes extending through the holes in each stave and driven through the contiguous spline and into the contiguous stave. v 3. Inutanks,silos, and similaristructures, the combination of staves. placededge to edge the contiguous edges being formed. with registering grooves and one of each contiguous pair of said staves being formed with transverse holes extending through their bodies from grooveto groove, splines for the contiguous groovesfand spikes extending,

said: grooves, and spikes extending through said holes and driven through said spline and into the "ad]acent stave.

5. In'silos, tanks, and similar structures,

the combination of contiguous staves placed edge to edge and'formed with spline-andgroove connections along their contiguous edges, oneof the staves'in each contiguous [pair of staves 'beingformed with prepared holes extending through the body, of the stave edgewise, and spikes having their shanks fitting in said holes and driven throughthe contiguous spline and into the contiguous stave.

6. In silos, tanks, and siinilar"structures, the combination ofrcontiguous staves placed edge to edge and i=fornied with "spline-andgroove connections along their contiguous 'In testimony whereof I have afiixed my edges, one of the staves in each contlguous slgnature in presence of two Witnesses. v

pair of staves being formed with prepared holes extending edgewise through its body, HARRY PUGH and spikes having their shanks fitting 1n Witnesses:

said holes and driven into the contiguous O. Pn'r'rn'r, stave. v AUDRA HARMONSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained foriive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

Washington, I). G. 

